The best bars to find the perfect cocktails

We should have seen it coming. In hindsight, this Golden Age of cocktails that we’re enjoying was the inevitable next step in the modern resurgence of bar culture.

First came wine bars, whose extensive by-the-glass offerings made exploring the worlds of flavor yielded by the fruit of the vine more accessible than ever. Brewpubs and taprooms followed, showcasing the burgeoning local craft beer scene.

Now, a new generation of bartenders is rescuing the cocktail from a decades-long purgatory of mediocrity and restoring it to its rightful place in the pantheon of liquid refreshments.

Last week, I shared a list of my favorite cocktail bars in restaurants. In this week’s sequel, I raise my glass to standalone bars that are not connected with a restaurant.

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Note: Standalone bars (that is, establishments whose food sales don’t exceed 30 percent of total receipts) are required by state law to be registered as private membership clubs. Joining is typically a formality with a nominal membership fee.

The Anchor Bar

207 Fayetteville St., Raleigh

919-977-3714

anchorraleigh.com

The recipe: A nautical theme and free popcorn set The Anchor apart from the growing crowd of downtown Raleigh watering holes. But it’s the well-crafted cocktails, an eclectic mix of classics and house specialty creations, that will make you want to become a regular.

Arcana

Related stories from Raleigh News & Observer

The recipe: A cozy subterranean space with a Victorian-meets-Art-Nouveau decor, plus a quirky list of specialty cocktails — many of them named for tarot cards — add up to a bar you won’t mistake with any other. Did I mention that they also do tarot readings? Check the calendar of events on the website.

Belltree Speakeasy

100 Brewer Lane, Carrboro

984-234-0572

facebook.com/belltreespeakeasy

The recipe: True to speakeasy tradition, Belltree opened quietly last year in the hole-in-the-wall that was formerly home to another hideaway bar, Peccadillo. Look for the bas relief tree over the door and tell them Greg sent you.

The Blind Barbour

3055 Medlin Drive, Raleigh

no phone; contact by email

blindbarbour.com

The recipe: Tucked away in a mostly residential neighborhood, this hidden gem’s name is a mash-up of a Prohibition-era nickname for a speakeasy (blind pig) and the name of its affable owner/bartender, Joey Barbour.

At the granddaddy of craft cocktail bars, Gary Crunkleton and his thoroughly trained, bowtie-clad barkeeps have been setting a high bar since 2008 at The Crunkleton in Chapel Hill. It’s almost as fun to read the detailed list of cocktails, which credits the creator of each drink – from the legendary Prohibition-era barman, Harry Craddock, to Crunkleton himself – as it is to drink them. Almost.

2011 News & Observer File Photo - Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com

The Crunkleton

320 W. Franklin St., Chapel Hill

919-969-1125

thecrunkleton.com

The recipe: At the granddaddy of craft cocktail bars, Gary Crunkleton and his thoroughly trained, bowtie-clad barkeeps have been setting a high bar since 2008. It’s almost as fun to read the detailed list of cocktails, which credits the creator of each drink – from the legendary Prohibition-era barman Harry Craddock to Crunkleton himself – as it is to drink them. Almost.

Foundation

213-010 Fayetteville St., Raleigh

919-896-6016

foundationnc.com

The recipe: Don’t despair when you discover that your favorite scotch – or any scotch at all, for that matter – isn’t available at this underground bar, whose shelves are stocked exclusively with American-distilled spirits. You’ll find ample consolation in an eclectic cocktail list that draws on dozens of liquors, from North Carolina’s own Cardinal gin to Cruzan rum from the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Fox Liquor Bar

237 S. Wilmington St., Raleigh

919-322-0128

ac-restaurants.com/fox

The recipe: When James Beard Award-winning chef Ashley Christensen opens a bar, expectations are naturally sky high. Fox soars (notwithstanding its subterranean location) to meet those expectations with precise renditions of classic cocktails built with premium liquors and sparkling clear ice chipped from a large block.

The Green Light

108-1/2 E. Hargett St., Raleigh

919-833-4949

architectbar.com

The recipe: In the spirit of the Prohibition-era speakeasy, this cozy upstairs bar is accessed through a hidden door disguised as a bookcase on one wall of The Architect (The Green Light’s beer-centric sibling bar). The entry will no doubt awaken the bookworm in you, in which case you won’t want to miss the last page of the cocktail menu, where you’ll find a clever little short story that explains the names of both bars.

The Haymaker

555-115 Fayetteville St., Raleigh

No phone; contact via email at info@thehaymakerraleigh.com

thehaymakerraleigh.com

The recipe: House specialty punch bowls make this stylish bar (brought to you by Eschelon Experiences, whose other properties include Basan and Mura) a great place to meet up with a few friends. Then again, if there’s just one or two of you, you’ll find plenty of tempting quenchers under the headings of Haymaker Originals and The Classics.